An updated version of the Eisenhower jacket, made popular by Gen. Dwight Eisenhower during World War II. As I highlighted once before unless every soldier looks like a poster child for the Army height and weight standards many soldiers will look like Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden in the Honeymooners.

Eliminating the female drill sergeant hat, with all soldiers instead wearing a single campaign hat. Good idea.

Going to a single blue service cap, or “bus driver cap,” for male and female soldiers to wear with the Army Service Uniform. Two part discussion here. If the Army is going to get rid of the Beret—get rid of it. Quit killing it by a thousand cuts. The Service Cap will look stupid with Class B (short sleeve shirt or long sleeve shirt with tie and no jacket). If traveling a Service Cap is a pain in the ass. If want to get rid of the Beret (I like it many do not so I am agnostics on the subject) bring back the Garrison Cap.

Requiring senior non-commissioned officers and higher to wear the blue service cap, instead of the beret, while in the Army Service Uniform. Stupid idea. You know who the leaders are by the stripes on their shoulders or the shoulders boards they wear. Requiring leaders to wear a different hat goes against the notion that we have a uniform.

Changes to the fit and material of the white shirt for the Army Service Uniform. Not sure what this means but I am sure it means that the soldiers will have to go out and buy new shirts. Rather than adding some material to the shirt, I suspect that the Sergeant Major of the Army wants to take away material so they have that tailored look. I have a suggestion, teach our soldiers how to properly tuck in their shirts with a military tuck.

One Response to Proposed Uniform Changes in the Army

If they’re going to approve the Ike jacket, they ought to approve the original one, with a flat front and flapped pickets without buttons. The original had no visible brass except for branch, rank, and US. I retired just before the beret–you’re right–the Army does seem to be rethinking it. The old garrison cap (which VMI guys called something else) ought to make a comeback–it was pointless but practical–easy to wear. As an aside, women got those caps in 1983 or 4–my wife, a then-newly promoted major in the Army Dental Corps, went to the West Point PX and asked the uniform sales person, louder than she planned, if they had “any of those new cunt caps for women”–she had no idea that was not the real name. Needless to say, they gave her one quickly.